Slice of Life
by Artemis Day
Summary: 100 Themes for Once-ler and Audrey. Varies between romantic and friendship, please read the author's note in the first chapter for more information. Rated for safety.
1. 1 to 10

**A/N: So this is something I have going on tumblr. It's a 100 Themes Challenge dedicated to the sadly underrated crack pairing of Once-ler and Audrey. I'll be posting them on my other writing acconts (here and deviantART) so everyone can read them without having to dig around my archive. I know how annoying that can be.**

**Just a few things I want to note first:**

**Most of these are unconnected, they take place at various points in Once-ler and Audrey's life. For instance, you may find yourself reading a drabble about their married life, followed immediately by one where they have only just met. So don't expect much continuity unless otherwise stated.**

**Also,the vast majority of these will take place in an Alternate Universe, as that's the only way to make this pairing work. A few, however, will take place in the Canon Universe. It will be noted when one of those comes up, so be sure to pay attention to which Universe is listed before each one. Any drabble that takes place in the Canon Universe will be friendship ONLY. There are different types of relationships after all, and I'd like to explore how Audrey might react to the Once-ler in canon after everything he's done.**

**Okay, I think that's about it. This will be updated once the next ten have been written. If you'd like to read them before that, follow me on tumblr. The link is listed as my homepage in my profile.**

******Thanks, and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Theme #98: **Warmth

**Word Count: **641

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Romance, Fluff

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

Once-ler narrowed his eyes in anger at the blacken head of his last remaining match. It had gone out on him immediately after lighting, the result of a misplaced gust of wind forcing open that one window with the broken lock he'd stupidly put off fixing for weeks.

How was he supposed to know they'd get hit with such a massive cold snap? It was barely even November!

Pulling his wool jacket closer to his body, Once-ler let out a shiver and glanced at the young woman on the couch. She wore a coat of her own, though her was light brown where his was dark grey. It also had a furry collar, unlike his, and yet from her flushed cheeks and the way she held herself so tightly, it didn't appear to be doing her any good. That was at least one thing their winter coats had in common: they were both utterly useless and complete wastes of good money. That 200 dollars he'd blown on them wasn't coming back, no siree. It now belonged to a hoard of greasy, lying salespeople, who must've been having a good laugh at their customer's expense while they lounged around in their warm, cozy boutique.

Meanwhile, Once-ler and Audrey would be busy at home, turning into ice sculptures.

"You sure you don't have anymore?" she asked as he flopped down on the couch beside her.

He put a hand on his head and grunted out an affirmative response. Audrey sighed deeply and burrowed into the soft, yet not warm, cushions.

"Maybe we should've just gotten a heater," she said. "That fireplace isn't cutting it anymore."

"The fireplace is fine," Once-ler mumbled through his hands. "It's these stupid, cheap matches that are the problem."

_'Besides, you're the one who didn't want an oil heater,'_ he mentally added.

She sighed a second time, and Once-ler considered looking up to see what she might be doing. Knowing Audrey, she would probably get up soon to go make them some tea. Not that it would help them much, but at least they'd have something hot to drink. Maybe he could hold his mug over his face and let the steam melt some of the icicles he just knew were forming on his nose right now.

Once-ler's ears picked the sound of Audrey fidget, and then he could feel her movements. What struck him as odd was that her weight wasn't lifting off the couch. Instead, it was shifting, shifting towards him.

Her arms snaked around his waist and pulled him closer to her. A sound escaped Once-ler's throat, but it didn't faze her. Using her shoulder, Audrey pushed his arm out of the way so she could come around and sit on his lap, hugging him tightly all the while and making Once-ler's face turn beet red.

"A-Audrey," he choked out. "What are you doing?"

"I'm cold," she said firmly. "I'm freezing cold and if I can't get heat from the fireplace, then I'm getting it from you."

Once-ler remained still for a long time after Audrey said this. She showed no signs of letting go anytime soon, she was even snuggling her face into his chest. It was admittedly a very nice feeling, and he would never pass up an opportunity to hold her like this. Once-ler blew out breaths he could see as he slowly but surely came to return her embrace. His body relaxed against hers and smiled softly.

"That's better," she whispered.

Once-ler nodded, then contently laid his head back. He felt a great deal less cold than he had a few seconds ago.

"Yeah, it is."

* * *

**Theme #27 : **Cigarette

**Word Count: **385

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Romance, Fluff, Humor.

**Rating:** K+

**Warning(s): **None.

A man was thrown out of the restaurant for smoking.

It wasn't so much the smoking that was a problem, as it was that he'd specifically asked for a non-smoking table right in the center. Audrey knew this because the man had been seated right before her and her date. By the time his drink order arrived, he was already lighting up and smoked away without a care in the world. Predictably, he was asked to put it out. Less predictably, he blew smoke in the waiter's face and took another drag.

Most predictable of all was the arrival of the manager, who threw the jerk out on his ass to thunderous applause. Audrey, not three tables away, was one of two people not whooping and clapping. The other was her date, mostly because he'd been too busy looking over the menu while all this was going on. As Once-ler debated under his breath whether crab cakes would make a better appetizer than mozzarella sticks, Audrey was staring at the door, watching the man stumble to his car while shouting obscenities and threatening legal action. She shook her head disapprovingly.

"It's amazing how rude some people can be," she remarked, picking up her own menu and flipping to the beverage page. "As if smoking wasn't a bad enough habit."

Once-ler gave a low hum and reached for his ice water, taking small sips.

"You know, I'd never smoke a cigarette," he said. "But sometimes I think about giving cigars a try."

Audrey frowned and raised an eyebrow. Once-ler responded with a similar, though more defensive, look.

"What? I think they look distinguished."

Audrey felt like laughing, and probably would have had she not wanted to spare her lover's feelings. In spite of herself, she began picturing him dressed up in that one nice suit he owned, leaning back in an easy chair, cigar in hand and smoke blowing out through puckered lips. Audrey's toes curled involuntarily and she forced her eyes back on the menu. She didn't want Once-ler to see her blushing, because then he'd want to know why, and lying to him was pointless because he always knew when she wasn't telling the truth. Audrey would've hated having to tell him how strangely enticing that mental image was, it would only encourage him.

* * *

**Theme #57: **Father

**Word Count: **401

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Family, Fluff

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

Nothing ever terrified Once-ler more than holding his newborn son for the first time. The tiny pink infant was curled up in a blue fleece blanket, sleeping peacefully. Once-ler imagined he was tired from all the screaming he did while the doctors were cleaning him up. By the time he was declared happy and healthy, the infant's cries had silenced, and he'd been resting in his father's arms ever since.

Audrey, exhausted from the day and a half of labor she'd endured, was equally dead to the world, if not more so. Her ball of knotted red hair splayed out all over the place, a fair bit of it sticking to her sweaty forehead. She snored softly, one arm tucked under her head to keep it elevated. Once-ler knew she'd never agree with him, but he thought she looked beautiful.

With her out, and no doctors or nurses in sight, Once-ler was left to watch his child slumber on, caring for nothing but a good meal when he woke up. Once-ler bit his lip hard, heedless of the pain. What he was feeling inside was far worse than it could ever hope to be. Closing his eyes, Once-ler thought back to his own childhood, to the earliest years he could remember. He thought of his father, that tall, skinny man who was a mirror image of him. That man had been quiet, very respectful and polite to everyone, whether they deserved it or not. At least that's what Once-ler could recall. What he focused mainly on were all the thing he didn't remember about that man, because he had never been around for Once-ler to experience anything with. The man's back as he walked off forever into the distance was the last and most vivid memory Once-ler had.

Unconsciously, he clutched his son tighter, almost waking him in the process. He placed a hand on the boy's bald head, his touch feather light, for fear that he might hurt him.

"Don't worry," he said, even though he knew the baby wouldn't understand even if he was awake to hear it. "I promise I'll always be there for you. You and your mother."

The baby fidgeted in his grasp, letting out a tiny whine before calming again. Once-ler couldn't help but smile as he gently rocked the baby back and forth, and spoke under his breath.

"I promise. I love you, Eugene."

* * *

**Theme #48: **Pup

**Word Count:** 564

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Humor, Fluff

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

"Have you ever thought about getting a pet?"

Once-ler looks up from the frying pan filled with pancake mix at Audrey, who is in the corner, setting their small kitchen table. She's busy placing her fork on the opposite side of the knife and not even looking at him, leaving Once-ler to wonder for a moment if she'd actually said anything or if he'd just imagined it.

"Huh?" he says anyway.

As he half-expected, she looks up.

"I was just thinking, it might be nice to have one. Like a puppy or something."

She smiles wide and shrugs, and Once-ler responds with a single raised eyebrow as he crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the stove, careful not to disturb the pancakes or burn himself in the process.

"Why would we need that?" he asks, jabbing a finger out the window, where a group of bar-ba-loots are drinking water from the nearby pond and splashing at each other randomly. "We already have them."

"Once-ler, the bar-ba-loots are not pets," Audrey says, rolling her eyes.

"Well, let's think about that," says Once-ler as he brings one long finger to his chin in mock thought. "I'm always feeding them, they sleep in our house when it's raining even after I keep telling them not to, they're always running around in our backyard and messing with the clothesline… sounds like a pet to me."

"Once-ler…"

He goes on as if she hadn't just spoken his name in an annoyed, warning tone that usually meant he'd be sleeping on the couch that night. Leaving the stove, he walks to the window and pokes his head out, easily spotting one particular bar-ba-loot looking over some flowers within arm's length. Once-ler wordlessly picks him up by the scruff and pulls him in. The tiny animal is confused, but not unhappy, and instantly brightens up the moment he sees Audrey. He reaches wildly for her.

"Besides," Once-ler says, letting the creature drop to the floor. "You have Pipsqueak. He adores you after all."

As Pipsqueak runs to Audrey and nuzzles contently into her pants leg, she can't help but reach down to pat his fuzzy head. Picking him up into her lap, her face softens and Once-ler smirks triumphantly.

"There you go, now you have your puppy," he says. "Good thing I know the answer to everything."

He cockily walks off into the pantry to get out the new box of pancake mix, and Audrey gives his retreating form a flat look.

"Pipsqueak isn't a puppy, Once-ler," she yells.

"Yes he is, Audrey," he calls back.

Audrey exhales hard through her nose and shakes her head. One of Pipsqueak's paws comes to rest on her shoulder as he hugs her tightly, oblivious to the argument surrounding him. After a few seconds, she returns it with a small smile.

"Don't worry, Pipsqueak," she says. "He knows you're not a puppy, he's just being insensitive."

"AM NOT!"

This is followed by a punctuated thud as the very box of pancake mix Once-ler had been searching for slides off the top shelve and whacks him over the head, making him cry out in pain. Audrey can't stop herself from laughing, even as she puts her so-called 'puppy' back down and goes to help him.

Meanwhile, right in view of the bedroom window, two more bar-ba-loots steal their drying bed sheets again.

* * *

**Theme #60: **School

**Word Count: **412

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Family, Humor

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

They stood before the long, rectangular shaped building side by side, hand in hand. Once-ler sucked in air until his chest hurt, then let it back out as he glanced at his wife. Her head of red hair blew softly in the wind, and he could just see her lip as she bit down hard on it. That was good, now he knew she was just as nervous as he was about today.

And why shouldn't she be? This was a big step they were taking, one that could never be taken back once it was done. That's why they both had to be completely sure that they could handle it, that they were mature enough to take it all in stride.

"This is it," he said, squeezing Audrey's hand.

She nodded. "I know… I'm kind of scared."

"It'll be okay," Once-ler said, not sure why he was bothering to try and reassure her when he wasn't any calmer himself. "We always knew this day would come, and I think we're prepared for it."

"I don't know," Audrey shook her head. "I keep telling myself that I'm ready, that… well, after all the time we've spent together, I should know that it's going be okay, I just…"

Once-ler snaked her arm around her waist to pull her closer. His grip was tight, but not so much that he might accidentally hurt her, or give away that he might actually be looking to her for comfort too.

"We can do it," he said firmly. "We're ready now, and no matter what happens, we can endure together."

Audrey let out a sigh and leaned her head in, lovingly returning the one armed embrace.

"Okay," she said. "Okay, you're right. We can do this. I love you, Once-ler."

He responded by planting a kiss on the top of her head and making her giggle.

They grinned at each other, the faces of two people trying desperately to stay positive, even as their fears for the future threatened to overwhelm them. They would keep it up for as long as it took for them to get through this, together, just like so many other trials they'd faced. On a small patch of grass barely one foot away from the happy couple and their romantic display, 5 year old Gene gave a loud and angry groan.

"Come _on_, you guys," he whined. "I'm only going to Kindergarten! You'll see me again in _six hours_! You're _embarrassing_ me!"

* * *

**Theme #13: **Gamble

**Word Count: **766

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Romance

**Rating: **K+

**Warning(s): **None

When you're trying to change the world, sometimes you have to take risks. Once-ler is fully aware of that. He has the calloused fingers from all-nighters spent making thneeds to show for it. He knows that his hard work may come to nothing, even though he likes to believe that his success is inevitable (because with a creation as innovative as the thneed, why shouldn't it be?). He doesn't let himself worry about what might happen if he fails.

He tries to apply this thinking to everything in his life, but that isn't always so easy.

When he is in the middle of town, standing at the center of the park underneath Audrey's favorite tree, hand in hand with Audrey herself, it's all but impossible. His mind is filling to the brim with worst case scenarios.

She'll say no.

She'll run away.

She'll laugh in his face.

She'll break up with him on the spot.

She'll reveal that she's actually a super spy on a top secret mission and that she needs to leave for some foreign country to stop a terrorist plot and then use her high tech spy gear to erase his memory of her before disappearing forever.

The longer this goes on, the more convoluted and ridiculous his imaginings become. Audrey is talking about something, and he can't even listen to her. The tiny box in his pocket suddenly feels like a stone. He holds it through the fabric of his pants between sweaty fingers and swallows hard.

This is it, he tells himself. The time has to be now. She's still talking, but it'll be easy to silence her, he just needs to do it already. He needs to put all his happiness on the line and ask, praying all the while that she'll say yes. Because if she doesn't, it won't matter anymore if his thneeds make him a success and his family finally comes to love and respect him. His heart might one day start to heal, but there would always be a huge chunk of it missing, one that only she could fill and hadn't wanted to.

But no, that won't happen.

It _won't_ happen.

It _won't_.

Something must be showing on his face, because Audrey stops talking and frowns.

"Once-ler, are you okay?"

He opens his mouth, but his throat refuses to let anything even resembling a sound pass through. She continues to stare at him, concern growing, until he can no longer take it. His mind shuts down and he's running purely on instinct. He gets down on one knee, pulling out the tiny velvet box as he goes, and only now does his voice start to work again.

"Audrey, I know this is kind of sudden… I mean, not really sudden since we've been dating for over a year and all, I just um… wh- what I'm trying to say… I wanted to ask…"

Her eyes slowly go wide, realization dawning. Once-ler recognizes this, and he can't even tell if she's happy or terrified, but somehow, that look spurs him on.

"Audrey… will you marry me?"

Two seconds pass.

It takes Audrey two seconds to process this, two seconds that feel longer than two years to Once-ler. Two seconds is all his mind needs to do one final run through of every single terrible outcome this wager of his might have. Every instance of pain and regret he might face someday because of this moment, because of these two seconds.

Because she might say no.

On the third second, Audrey's face breaks into the widest grin Once-ler has every seen, and she lets out a scream that's still ringing in his ears long after she's jumped on him and crushed their lips together. He has to lean against the tree to keep them balanced, and then he returns her embrace with equal ferocity. He waits until they've calmed down a little to slide the ring onto her finger. They sit there, looking out at the night sky and holding each other tight, while Once-ler is filled with a happiness he never thought possible.

Because she had said yes.

She'd really said yes to him.

And why shouldn't she? After all the time they'd spent together, and all the times she told her she loved him and vice versa. Why shouldn't they eventually take the next step in their relationship. It's not like she'd ever indicated that she wasn't happy with him. They were always happy, even when they were fighting.

This is what both of them wanted.

He should've known his gamble would pay off.

* * *

**Theme #30:** Boredom

**Word Count: **220

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Humor

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

Once-ler was taking a day off from trying to sell his thneeds. He was in the living room, flipping around restlessly on the couch while blowing out air and groaning. Audrey, seated in the recliner with her nose in a book, was growing increasingly annoyed with this. She almost wished she hadn't kept pushing him to get some rest so that he didn't work himself into a coma. At least then he would've been quiet.

"Hey, Audrey!" he called out, staring with glazed over eyes at the ceiling. "I've been thinking…"

"What about?" she asked, equally distracted as she turned the page.

"About boredom," he said, sharply turning his head to her. "You ever think about boredom?"

"Nope," she answered. "I'm too busy thinking about that pile of dirty dishes in the sink with your name on it."

He finally showed some emotion at this, scowling at her while lifting himself into a sitting position.

"I thought you wanted me to relax," he said.

"I did," Audrey said, not bothering to look at him as she spoke. "But since laying around doesn't seem to help you, why not try something more productive? It's your turn anyway."

He smirked. "If that's what you're worried about, why don't I just go back to making my thneeds?"

"Just go wash the dishes, Once-ler."

* * *

**Theme #19: **Friend

**Word Count: **394

**World: **Canon Universe

**Genre(s): **Friendship, Slice-of-Life

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **Not really a warning per say, I just wanted to let everyone know that this one contains some (one-sided on his part) Ted/Audrey. Also, please remember that this and any other drabble that takes place in the Canon movie universe is NOT TO BE TAKEN AS ROMANTIC. I cannot stress this enough.

When all was said and done, Once-ler could expect a visit from Ted roughly once or twice a week. The boy always had something to give him, be it marshmallows or pancake mix, even a new hat one time! Granted, it was an old one he'd found in his attic that smelled distinctly of mothballs, but it was the thought that counted. That it actually looked pretty good on the Once-ler helped too.

On one of these visits, Ted didn't bring a gift. Instead, he brought a young woman whom Once-ler recognized instantly, if only from the descriptions Ted was only too happy to give him over and over and over again. Once-ler noted, as he was shaking Audrey's hand and telling her how pleased he was to finally meet her (not a lie, in his defense), that her hair did not, in fact, glow like that of a sun goddess. Nor was her laugh the most beautiful sound to ever grace his ears. Seemed Ted did a lot of exaggerating when in that annoying, googly eyed state of his.

What a shocker.

Regardless, Audrey did prove to be good company. She was polite, she never spoke out of turn, and she seemed genuinely happy to be there. It was almost like Ted hadn't dragged her along for the ride in the belief that it was time she and Once-ler met face to face.

The kids stayed for about an hour, making small talk and drinking tea (or water in Ted's case). When it was time to go, Ted was the first one out. He called a farewell over his shoulder, just like all the other times he'd visited, along with the usual promise to return soon. It was Audrey who lagged behind, much to the Once-ler's surprise. His bewilderment grew when she approached his seated form, smiling warmly.

"It really was nice meeting you," she said while shaking his hand. "I hope you don't mind if I come again sometime."

Once-ler blinked. "You really want to visit me?"

Audrey gave a laugh, one that made Ted stop in his tracks and turn around with a goofy, lovestruck look on his face. Once-ler had to resist rolling his eyes, and achieved it by keeping his eyes on Audrey as she gave an answer.

"Of course! Any friend of Ted's is a friend of mine."

* * *

**Theme #42: **Hope

**Word Count: **170

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s):** Romance, Fluff

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

He shares his dreams with her as they're laying under the moonlight in each other's arms. They've done this countless times before, talking until the sun comes up about everything and nothing. She'll groan over her professors assigning way too much homework, and he'll complain about another Swomee Swan laying eggs in his dinnerware.

Her head rests on his chest, and she can hear his heart beating, slow and strong. It gets faster whenever he talks about his thneeds, or his family, or the future. She understands his fears, and she wants to do what she can for him. There really isn't much, and she knows it, but that won't stop her. She has faith in his abilities; she truly believes he can become a success.

And so, whenever the thread of conversation comes to this, she hugs him a little tighter, runs a smooth hand up an down his arm, and reaches up to gently brush her lips against his.

"Don't worry, I know you're going to do great."

* * *

**Theme #70: **Rainbow

**Word Count: **540

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Family, Humor

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

When Once-ler bought Gene an art kit, Audrey had no idea what he was thinking. Here was their son, barely two years old and just learning how to walk, and Once-ler thinks now is the right time to start teaching him how to paint?

The toddler loved it, of course. He loved pretty much anything they set in front of him so long as it was colorful. Even Audrey had to admit, his squeals of delight over the little paint cups and brushes made her happy. Being so into painting herself, it would be nice if she could share that with her children someday.

'Someday' being the key word, as she was sure to tell her husband later that night.

"Seriously?" he said incredulously. "I'm helping to nurture our son's artistic ability. I thought you'd be happier."

"Our son is two, Once-ler," she reminded him. "He doesn't even know how to draw a straight line yet."

Once-ler snorted, putting away the last folded shirt in the top drawer of the bureau, then closing it.

"You're overreacting," he said as the two of them exited their room and walked into the living area. "I'm not expecting him to become the next Picasso, I just think it would be nice if we all had some kind of hobby we could share. You know, family bonding or whatever. Trust me, this is going to be good for… him…"

He trailed off when he saw it, but it was Audrey who reacted first. The throw rug she'd been carrying fell as her arms went limp and her jaw dropped. Once-ler at first didn't know what to make of this, until he looked into the living, at the floor specifically.

There was Gene, babbling in baby language as he picked up another cup of orange paint and poured it onto the floor. It joined many other colors in creating a messy rainbow blob that covered almost half the floor. The horrified Once-ler's own jaw had all but unhinged, and he felt no better when his eyes flicked to wife. Audrey's face as she glared back at him was redder than her hair. Once-ler's whole body shook with fear; he forced his mouth shut and gulped hard. Unfortunately, this also enabled him to start talking again. Probably not the best idea.

"I… I… Good work, son! That's a good boy. I really like your… uh… that… it looks great! So many colors, I see red and blue and yellow and purple and orange and, oh there's a lot of green in there. That's great! I love green. It's my favorite color, and it's your mom's favorite too! See, honey? I told you this would be good for him, he's already painting! He's uh… he'll be a performance artist! …heheh… isn't that great? A- aren't you proud of him?"

Audrey's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Once-ler suddenly felt he'd shrunk to three inches tall.

He spent the rest of the day washing all the paint off the floor, while Gene happily and obliviously played with the now empty cups. The job took hours and Once-ler was beyond exhausted when it was done, making the fact that he'd been banished to the couch for the night all the worse.


	2. 11 to 20

**Theme #92: **Name

**Word Count: **473

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Romance, Fluff

**Rating:** K

**Warning(s): **None.

It took Audrey a month to finally ask, even though she'd been wondering about it since the day they met. He'd spoken so casually then. It was like he didn't realize how strange it sounded. But that was a given, she supposed. It was his name after all, he'd had it his whole life. That's what his family called him and what he was used to hearing. Having grown up in such an isolated environment, he might not have ever had to explain it to anyone before.

Nevertheless, she found herself sitting with him on the veranda of a small café at the edge of town. It was a deceptively warm Autumn day and she was raising the teacup to her parched lips when the question slipped out.

"So what's the story behind your name?"

She was frozen in an instant, a horrible feeling started in her chest and spread like wildfire through the rest of her body. Once-ler didn't seem to notice, taking a bite out of a scone and chewing at an average pace. A tiny nod was the only indication that he'd heard her, and Audrey had no choice but to wait with baited breath for him to give an answer. If he even wanted to and/or wasn't offended by such a blunt and personal question.

"My name…" he said. "I don't… oh wait, are you asking how I got it?"

Audrey nodded wordlessly, the tension starting to ease but not enough that she could relax just yet.

He shrugged casually. "I don't know for sure. I used to ask my Mom about it a lot, particularly after Brett and Chett were born, and usually she'd just ignore me or tell me to go play. There was one time, though, when she told me it was because having me was something she only wanted to experience once. I didn't really get it and she never mentioned it again, so who knows if that was even the truth."

Once-ler finished with another shrug, then drank down the remainder of his tea and reached for another scone. Audrey followed his movements carefully, seeking out any hint that he might not be telling the truth or was hiding something from her, but everything about his demeanor was calm and collected. She let out a sigh of relief, happy that her fears were unfounded, and that he wasn't angry.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

"It's no big deal anyway," Once-ler went on after a long pause. "I mean, it's a strange name, yeah, but all that means is nobody else has one like it. It's one of a kind."

_'Sort of like me,'_ was the unspoken continuation Audrey knew was there from the cocky grin he now sported. She gave a snort and rolled her eyes, but found herself grinning back all the same.

* * *

**Theme #56: **Mother

**Word Count: **473

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Family, Angst

**Rating: **K+

**Warning(s): **None

"Mommy!"

Audrey glanced over her shoulder at her son, a bright and excitable child of five, running at top speed towards her with a huge bundle of newly picked flowers in his hands. Audrey watched him come, smiling wide as she carefully kneeled down to meet him. She pulled him into a gentle hug, weary as ever of her heavily pregnant stomach that seemed to become more inhibiting by the day. That was one of the many reasons why Audrey couldn't wait for her second child to be born.

"Mommy!" Gene said louder, pulling away so he could shove the bouquet in her face. "Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!"

"Oh, thank you, Gene," Audrey said, planting a kiss on the boy's forehead. He whined and tried to pull away, but Audrey just laughed and hugged him tighter.

A moment later, she was back on her feet and admiring the flowers while Gene busied himself with a caterpillar crawling it's way up a blade of grass. The back door opened and closed, harder than necessary, but not quite in slamming territory. Audrey turned to greet her husband and show him the flowers, and also to confirm her suspicions that Gene had done this on his suggestion. He always was putting ideas in their son's head.

Her smile, and general feelings of good nature, faded when she saw him. Once-ler stood rigid before her, not giving away a shred of emotion anywhere except his eyes. Audrey had known Once-ler for many years now, and in that time, she'd come to know the signs that something was bothering him, even when he was hiding it. That dullness his blue eyes had taken spoke louder than words. Audrey found she couldn't say anything; asking him what was wrong wouldn't help, he would just say he was fine and walk away. She'd have to wait for him to make the first move.

Audrey watched him ball one hand into a half-hearted fist and look away from her gaze.

"I uh…" he paused to let out a breath. "I tried one more time. She didn't pick up the phone."

He coughed and straightened up his back, making himself look even taller. Audrey knew as he walked out into the field of trees that she wasn't going to get anymore out of him, not that that wasn't enough for her to put the pieces together. Watching his back intently, Audrey didn't notice Gene until he was tugging at the hem of her shirt.

"Mommy," he said. "What's wrong with Daddy?"

Audrey looked down, and Gene's inquisitive eyes, the same eyes she saw every time she looked at his father, stared back at her. The hand that clutched his gift tightened.

"Nothing, sweetie," she said, resting a loving hand on the boy's head. "Daddy just… he needs some time alone to think."

* * *

**Theme #17: **Morning

**Word Count: **516

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Romance, Fluff

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

Audrey was something of a late riser, or at the very least, Once-ler was always gone when she woke up. Every day, she'd wait a few minutes before getting up, making sure all the sleep was gone from her eyes. After dressing and brushing her long red hair out, she'd follow the delicious smell of pancake batter to the kitchen where Once-ler would be waiting. He'd have on that pink apron of his (and he'd insist that it wasn't at all unmanly to wear pink even though Audrey never claimed it was), and greet her with a smile and sweet kiss on the lips before presenting her with a plate of pancakes with syrup on the side.

That was the usual routine, the one Audrey was most comfortable with, but like with anything else, there was the occasional 'off-day.'

Her eyes fluttered open on one of them, only to snap shut again from the sting of harsh sunlight. Groaning, she vowed to get those new curtains installed _that day_and rubbed her eyes. Lifting herself up, Audrey stretched out her arms, fingertips brushing against a soft, silky something and making her aware that she was not alone. Gasping softly, Audrey took in Once-ler's peaceful face. He was on his side, chest moving up and down slowly, lips barely parted as he took in long, even breaths.

Audrey found the clock on his nightstand, and it read 11:15 am. That was definitely strange; he was always out of bed by now.

_'He must've been working a lot longer than usual last night,'_ she reasoned, remembering him in his little workroom the night before, struggling over some issues with his new thneed design. Audrey had told him then not to stay up too late, and that his knitting needles would still be there when he woke up, but Once-ler just brushed her off.

"I've got this, I'll done in a minute," he said.

Audrey chuckled to herself. She'd have to remind him of this the next time he decided working late was a good idea.

Still, getting to watch him sleep wasn't so bad. Seeing his handsome features so relaxed brought a smile to Audrey's face. Lately, he'd been stressed out over trying to sell his thneeds and having to remake them constantly, due to lingering stains and smell of tomatoes and other fruits. Audrey did what she could to keep him calm, but she knew the pressure was getting to him. As such, it was nice to see him at ease, even though it wouldn't last when he awoke. Audrey leaned over, softly as she could so not to disturb him. Her lips brushed against his temple before moving over to his ear.

"Good morning, Once-ler," she whispered, and he fidgeted for a moment, but didn't stir. "I love you."

Audrey moved away and slid to the side of the bed, getting down gently and putting on her slippers as she exited through the open door. She took one last look at Once-ler's slumbering form and then she was gone.

She decided she would make breakfast today.

* * *

**Theme #45: **Courage

**Word Count: **380

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s):** Romance, Humor

**Rating: **K+

**Warning(s):** None

"Hold still… I said hold still…"

Once-ler gasped in pain as Audrey rubbed the cool cream up and down his bruised shoulder. Her hands were slow moving and barely touching him, but the damaged skin was very sensitive. His hands tightened into fists, nails digging into his palms and coming dangerously close to drawing blood. He released them before this could happen, right when Audrey finished up and moved to examine his newly formed black eye. Once-ler winced, not so much from the pain this time and more from the heavy frown she wore.

"I don't know why you did that," she said. "Those guys were probably body builders or something. Why would you try and pick a fight with them?"

"I wasn't. _They_ attacked _me_," Once-ler grumbled, closing his one eye as per her silent prompting. "They didn't even look that tough, you saw how short they were."

"_Everyone_ is short compared to you," Audrey said, rolling her eyes. "And that doesn't answer my question."

Once-ler looked at her with his one good eye.

"There is no 'why,'" he said. "They were bothering you, you told them to leave, and they wouldn't listen. You're my girlfriend, I had to do something."

"You didn't have to try fighting them," Audrey said with finality, and pressed a cold compress against his eye to cut off any further arguments.

She went to the kitchen sink to wash her hands before applying anti-septic to the long cut on his forearm. He'd been picking at it for a while now, and she was beginning to think she'd have to tie him to his chair to keep him still. Audrey knew, as she ran cold water over her shaking hand, that a lot of how she was feeling were the aftereffects of an adrenaline rush. Seeing your boyfriend stand up to a pair of guys who didn't know when to take no for an answer, only for him to get pummeled by said guys would do that to you. She just hoped he would learn something from this experience. Sometimes it's better to just walk away before things could get any worse.

Even so, the knowledge that he _would_ defend her if need be, potentially endangering himself in the process… it was nice to know.

* * *

**Theme #35: **Love

**Word Count: **433

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Romance, Fluff

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

They're in the Truffula forest. The sun is going down in the orange sky, creating a mass of shadows all around and behind him. Once-ler sits on the grass with Audrey and a group of bar-ba-loots on either side of him. Among the latter is Pipsqueak, playing with the marshmallows Once-ler gave him, and his friends laugh when he keeps trying and failing to balance one on his nose.

Audrey laughs with them, and even Once-ler has to admit it's an amusing sight. They run off to play another game somewhere else, leaving Once-ler alone with Audrey. No words are spoken between them, they don't even need to clear their throats. They just star at the horizon and feel the light wind on their faces until the sun fully sets and night falls.

At that point, Audrey gets to her feet and rubs the kinks out of her back. She lets out a content sigh and looks to him.

"You want to go back in?"

Once-ler looks at her, at her beautiful face framed by shining red hair that seemed too amazing to be real sometimes. A hand is held out to him, long smooth fingers awaiting his. Once-ler has taken it before he realizes what he's doing, allowing Audrey to help him to his feet and tower over her once again. Hand in hand, the two walk through the darkness, towards the welcoming light shining through Once-ler's window.

His eyes flick down to her, to her partially illuminated face and lips curled into a half smile, and his heart starts to pound out of his chest.

He had heard people say before that sometimes, it can hit you just like that. There's not always a rhyme or reason to it, there doesn't have to be a big dramatic display with fireworks and candlelit dinners and fifty piece orchestras in the background. Sometimes, it can happen in a quiet setting, a few bar-ba-loots fighting over some fruit the only soundtrack. They had dinner at a diner in town and went to see a movie that was not good enough for them to enjoy, but not bad enough to walk out of. They went back to his home in the forest and lied in the grass talking about nothing for hours.

A completely unspectacular day destined to blend into his memories of all the other unspectacular days he'd lived. That's what it should have been.

But now, it would be the day that Once-ler casually glanced at Audrey on their way back to his house and realized that he was in love with her.

* * *

**Theme #1: **Chores

**Word Count: **439

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Romance, Humor

**Rating: **K+

**Warning(s): **None

Audrey sits on the couch, arms crossed over her chest as best she could with a heavily pregnant stomach in the way. Her head rests against several soft pillows, but she can't find it in her to relax for several reasons. The big one is that these are far too many pillows Once-ler has shoved behind her in a misguided attempt to keep her comfy, and the other is that he's chosen now of all times to do the vacuuming.

She's tried several times to call out to him, but the roar of the vacuum drowns her out, and it doesn't help that Once-ler has been singing nonsense songs to himself this entire time.

"NA- NA- NANANANA- NANA- NANA- NANA- NA- NA- NA-" he repeats this over and over again, and though Audrey usually loves her husband's voice, right now, it's grating on her last nerve.

"ONCE-LER!" she shouts for what seems like the millionth time. "CAN YOU PLEASE DO THIS LATER?"

"WHAT?" he yells back. "I CAN'T HEAR- Hang on."

She can just barely hear that last part, and then the off-switch is mercifully pressed, bringing the horrid noises to a stop.

"What was that?" Once-ler says again at normal volume.

Audrey glares at him, making him shrink back a little in fear. Her hormone and rage addled mind is pleased with this.

"I said… could you vacuum later, please?"

Her vaguely threatening emphasis on that last word makes him squirm even more. Once-ler even lets go of the handle and takes a quick step away from it.

"Well," he stumbles slightly. "Actually, I wanted to get it done now so I wouldn't have to later. You know, when you might be trying to sleep."

"I'm trying to sleep now," she says, not feeling very tired at all, but wanting to make her feelings unmistakable.

"Oh…" Once-ler says weakly. "I guess I could use the broom instead…"

Relief washes over Audrey, allowing her to give a genuine smile as she reaches for her husband and pulls him into a hug.

"Thank you, sweetheart. I love you so much!"

"Love you too, Audrey," Once-ler answers.

They break apart, and Once-ler heads for the corner closet while Audrey lays back down on the couch, pushing a few of the pillows away first. She maneuvers herself into an almost comfortable position, hands going to her stomach as they'd been want to do lately.

"I can't wait until the baby is born," she mutters to herself, closing her eyes.

"I can not wait until the baby is born," Once-ler says fearfully as he pulls out the broom and very quietly begins sweeping.

* * *

**Theme #75: **Lake

**Word Count: **164

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **General

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

"You sure do like that river," Once-ler observed one day as he sat beneath the shade of a truffula tree to avoid the blazing sun.

Audrey was right in the middle of it, kneeling before this calm section of the river and letting the water run between her fingers. With her back to him, Once-ler had no idea what her expression might be, but he imagined it would be one of peace and happiness.

"I've never been so close to one before," she said. "I mean, there was a lake where I used to live, and it was nice, but it could get kind of boring after a while. I like the way running water feels better."

Once-ler snorted and he reached for his latest unfinished thneed and knitting tools, then arranged it all comfortably in his lap to begin working. He cast one more glance at Audrey.

"Just make sure to keep your bed away from it," he muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

* * *

**Theme #5: **Play

**Word Count: **476

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Family

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

Gene was in the middle of the room. Building blocks and action figures lay before him, unorganized and forgotten. The only thing that mattered to him was the playpen in the corner. The tiny figure in the center who held up his own toys, not comprehending their purpose, but filled with curiosity. He gurgled happily while throwing a stuffed bee over his shoulder, then reached for the nearest object: a noisemaker. He shook it vigorously, making Gene wince and tighten his grip on the robot toy he held.

His mother entered through the doorway behind him. Gene only knew it was her from the gentle sound of her voice as she hummed along to a tune he didn't know. In one hand was her sketchbook, open to a page with an unfinished drawing of a swami-swan in a truffula tree. She went to the kitchen, where she refilled her canteen at the sink, all the while still humming. The baby babbled along with her, and Gene narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"I'm just going to be right outside, Gene," Audrey said. "Your father will be back from town in about five minutes. Can I trust you to stay inside and watch your brother until then?"

Gene ignored her, focusing all his attention on his toys. He didn't even look up when she called out his name again, even though she was using that angry voice that always meant he was coming close to being in trouble.

"Gene," she said again, moving to stand in front of him. "Are you listening to me?"

Gene grumbled, lifting one toy into the air and accidentally knocking over another in the process."

"Gene…? Gene?… _Eugene_!"

The boy started, and suddenly became fearful. The use of his full name was never a good sign, and so Gene slowly looked up, eyes wide and innocent. Maybe he wouldn't get in trouble then.

Audrey sighed and kneeled to the small boy's level.

"I don't understand what's gotten into you lately," she said, shaking her head. "Sweetie, is something bothering you?"

The boy stared at her silently, then scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. Though he actively tried not to, he couldn't help his pouting.

"Why did you and Dad have to have another baby anyway?" he asked bitterly. "He's no fun, he can't talk, he just sits around and cries a lot! And he smells weird."

Audrey raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't get angry again (Gene was thankful for this). Instead, she gave a smirk.

"Well, you may not remember," she said. "But you were exactly the same when you were a baby."

"Was not!" Gene shouted indignantly.

With a roll of her eyes, Audrey ruffled his hair and stood back up. She headed for the door while Gene fumed in silence and the baby played in blissful unawareness.

* * *

**Theme # 64: **Dream

**Word Count: **306

**World: **Canon Universe

**Genre(s): **Angst, General, Friendship

**Rating: **K+

**Warning(s): **None

There are times when Once-ler thinks this isn't real.

He's been alone for so long, no one but the voices in his head to keep him company. The years all mesh together, and he doesn't even know how long it's been since he last saw the sun. He'd wager a few decades. Five, six tops.

He used to wake up every morning to crippling darkness and silence, the very same he went to bed with every night. Now, the Lorax would be waiting across the room for him, and he was always the first thing Once-ler saw, illuminating by the sun, when his ancient eyes opened.

He knows that he isn't a young man anymore; quite the opposite. With old age comes senility and sometimes even delusions. He wonders if that's what it is. If everything that's happened since Ted first came knocking, hell even Ted himself, was nothing more than a figment of his imagination.

A cruel, 'too good to be true' dream sent to torment him, to remind him of his wrong-doings and the fact that he'll never be able to make it right. As if he needed help with that.

There are many things that can bring him out of this funk, and convince him that it isn't just a dream. The Lorax will barge into his room at odd moments and demand they go water the truffula sprouts; Ted will arrive for a visit and bring a bag of extra puffy marshmallows for him; nameless townspeople wander around the wide area that had been hidden from them for so long, chatting up a storm and in general disturbing the peace.

But for whatever reason, and Once-ler doesn't really care to wonder why, it's the smell and taste of the tea Audrey brews whenever she comes to visit that does the job best.

* * *

**Theme # 65: **Reality

**Word Count: **606

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Angst

**Rating: **K+

**Warning(s): **None

Audrey loved trees ever since she was a little girl.

The town she spent her early years in didn't have many, just some small ones littered around street corners, and the tiny kind you bought at stores and put in your home as decorations. Audrey never liked those trees. They weren't the big kind, and they didn't have the beautiful leaves of the ones she saw in pictures. Her grandparents had grown up in a more wooded area, and loved to impart stories of their youth onto the always happy to listen Audrey.

This was why the first thing Audrey did upon moving out and setting off on her own was to travel to the closet forest and move into the nearby town. She found herself living beside fields of truffula trees. Their pink and yellow tops were like a blanket covering the land, and they were so gorgeous. Audrey could stare at them for hours, and often did just that. She filled up three sketchbooks with drawings within the first two months. Many more would follow.

For close to a year, Audrey was happy. She had what she'd always wanted, a life of her own and trees as far as the eye could see. Not a bonsai tree in the bunch.

It was one year that she spent in such bliss. One beautiful year that ended abruptly with the harsh, unforgiving swings of a million axes.

All of a sudden, that young man who used to come around and advertise some sort of knitwear he'd created (a thneed, she believed), hit it big with the townspeople who had just days before laughed and pelted old tomatoes at him. The few times Audrey saw him back then, she'd felt terrible for him. Sure, he was loud and relentless and that could get irksome at times, but he certainly didn't deserve to be ridiculed like that. Audrey hadn't known his name at the time, just that he lived in the forest and came everyday with his guitar slung over one shoulder and a bright pink thneed wrapped around his neck. It was odd looking on him, but Audrey still couldn't help but find him kind of cute. He was certainly determined, a good quality to have.

She never got around to talking to him, though. And then his face started appearing everywhere.

He was on billboards, television, talk shows, award ceremonies, fancy parties. All of it was shoved in the world's face, as every single day, more and more of those beautiful trees were being chopped down by his company.

Audrey was shocked and horrified that something like this could happen. That this man, who had once seemed like such a sweet, idealistic fellow could become such a greedy and ruthless businessman. He destroyed the forests and didn't even care. Audrey grew more sure of this every time she saw his smugly grinning face on the news.

And she hated it.

She hated _him_.

She hated looking out the window and seeing thick black smoke where there had once been so many bright colors. She couldn't believe how fast her dream had become a nightmare, all because of that man they called the Once-ler. The worse thing was that no one ever tried to stop him, no one who actually had a chance anyway. They just went along and bought his products like sheep. Audrey couldn't go anywhere anymore without seeing at least ten people wearing some manner of thneed. It made her sick to her stomach.

Because more than anything, more than even the Once-ler, she hated how awful, selfish and uncaring the world could be.


	3. 21 to 30

**Theme #88: **Wind

**Word Count: **159

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Humor

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

A mass of red slaps him in the face. Once-ler gasps instinctively, almost taking a huge clump of it into his mouth. He sputters and pushes it away at the last second, receiving a cry of annoyance and a light slap on the shoulder for his troubles. Affronted by the action, Once-ler starts to say something, but then another gust hits and it's back to square one. They have to untangle themselves all over again; he inches away from her and she pulls her stray locks back. She smoothes them out, taking one section in her hand and curling it around one finger. Looking up, she offers her scowling boyfriend an apologetic look that does nothing to ease his frustration.

"You see, Audrey?" Once-ler says, not taking his eyes off her even as an even stronger burst of wind almost takes his fedora right off. "This is why you need to tie you hair back on days like this!"

* * *

**Theme #32: **Smile

**Word Count: **499

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Family, Humor

**Rating: **K+

**Warning(s): **None

"ONCE-LER!"

Her shrill cry was preceded by several minutes of uninterrupted silence, during which time Once-ler eased into his own world as his pencil raced around the canvas, drawing out the newest designs for the factory he hoped to build one day. The sudden disturbance hit him like a brick making him spring right up and slam his head against a low hanging light.

"GAH!" he cried out, rubbing the newly formed lump on his forehead as he stumbled to his feet and towards the door.

"ONCE-LER!" Audrey screamed again. "ONCE-LER, COME QUICK!"

"I'm coming!" he cried back frantically. A cold fear was washing over him. He had no idea what could make Audrey yell for him like that, but it couldn't be anything good. Terrible scenarios raced through his mind at lightning speed. So many tragedies befalling his wife, or his son, or his wife and his son. Maybe a madman had broken in through the window and was holding Audrey at knifepoint. Maybe Gene had tried to climb up the bookcase again, only this time he made it to the top and then fell off and injured himself. Maybe the pipes had burst and the living room was starting to flood.

All these thoughts clouded his vision, so it was no surprise that Once-ler managed to run into a partially open door. He fumbled with it for a few minutes, trying to ignore the new throbbing pain. Though he was able to get by, he was rewarding for his troubles when his foot caught on the carpet and sent him crashing to the floor.

As he lay there, just around the corner from the living room, moaning in pain and growing more terrified for his family by the minute, a very much unharmed Audrey appeared, their equally healthy son tucked under one arm.

"Once-ler, what are you doing on the floor?" she asked, barely suppressing the grin that threatened to crack across her face. "I've been calling for you."

She didn't wait for him to answer, and Once-ler didn't have one anyway. He watched Audrey roll her eyes, then kneel to his level and hold the baby out to him.

"I wanted you to see," she said. "Gene smiled! He looked right at me and he smiled. I think it's the first time he ever has!"

Once-ler stared at the infant's face. Gene's mouth was a straight line as he stared unblinking at his father. Once-ler held his gaze for barely another second, then slowly lowered his head to ground.

"That's great, Audrey," he said dully. "That's wonderful."

"I know, isn't it?" Audrey obliviously gushed. She hugged Gene to her chest, and he began to fuss a little. "I just wish I could've taken a picture, and I don't know how to make him do it again so you can see… We'll have to figure something out. In the meantime, get off the floor, what are you even doing there in the first place?"

Once-ler just groaned.

* * *

**Theme #22: **Pencil

**Word Count: **507

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Humor, Romance

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

Once-ler made a point to go grocery shopping on Fridays, once it became apparent that was the day she went shopping too.

She was the young woman he'd first spotted one day looking over the different brand cereals offered by the store. At the time, he hadn't thought much of her. She was pretty, of course. Very pretty even, but nothing phenomenal that he hadn't seen on other pretty women before. He really had no idea why he liked seeing the way her lips pursed as she compared prices, or the way her shiny red head swayed with her as she walked passed him in the aisles. By the time a month had gone by, he was actively looking forward to Fridays and the reason wasn't any clearer.

He didn't even know her name, for pete's sake!

On a Friday just like any other, they were in the produce section, barely two feet away from each other. Once-ler tried to keep from staring as he went over his hastily put together shopping list. He crossed out a few items and erased several more the store didn't have. He was doing a fairly good job keeping to his own thoughts and not paying attention to that spot of red in his peripheral vision. Then, a soft voice rang out.

"Excuse me?"

He turned without thinking, and froze in place the instant he realized it was her eyes on him. Once-ler hoped his anxiety wouldn't show on his face. The last thing he wanted to do was freak out this girl, who was doing little more than looking back at him innocently and whom he appeared to be developing an inexplicable attraction to.

"Sorry to bother you," she said. "But could I borrow that pencil for a second?"

He blinked a few times. Words jumbled around in his head, forming numerous sentences that varied in usefulness. In the end, Once-ler simply nodded and held the pencil out for her to take. She did so, and spent the next few seconds in the zone, writing furiously in her own, much thicker than his, notepad. Once-ler tried to keep his eyes away and not spy on her, but he did catch a few numbers here and there, the formation of which indicated that she was adding prices together.

After another minute of this, she nodded to herself and then handed the pencil back with a polite smile.

"Thank you," she said, waiting just long enough for Once-ler to nod again in response before turning on a heel and walking towards the checkout counter. She would disappear moments later down a random aisle, not to be seen again until next Friday rolled around.

"You're welcome," Once-ler said pathetically, even though she couldn't be more out of earshot at that point. "It's really no trouble… My name's Once-ler by the way… what's yours…"

His shoulders slumped in defeat.

_'Nice work, genius,'_ he snide inner voice hissed. _ 'How about next time, you say that when she's around to hear it? Ever thought of that?'_

* * *

**Theme #6: **Toy

**Word Count: **275

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Family, Humor

**Rating: **K+

**Warning(s): **None

"GENE! GENE NO! PUT IT DOWN!"

This was the sound that greeted Audrey when she opened the door to her cozy little home in the forest after a long day running errands and helping out her environmentalist friends with cleaning up the litter in town. After so much hard work, all Audrey wanted was total peace and quiet, and a nice, warm bed to sleep in until the next morning.

When her happily squealing three year old ran buy, dragging along an axe by the handle, she knew that wasn't going to be happening. The sharpened end of the tool scratched against the wooden floor and emitted an ugly sound, but Audrey was too busy staring wide eyed at Gene as Once-ler burst into the living room and stumbled after him.

"THAT'S NOT A TOY, IT'S NOT FOR YOU TO PLAY WITH!" he continued to shout.

Audrey, wide eyed and slack jawed, leaned her head against the door frame as it suddenly become too heavy for her to hold up. Once-ler had cornered Gene in the kitchen by now and pried the axe handle out of his tiny hands. Having had his new 'plaything' ripped away from him so forcefully and suddenly, Gene resorted to the tactic known by toddlers across the world to get what he wanted: he started bawling.

As his screams filled the air, Audrey felt more than ever like her head was about to explode. She forced herself to straighten up and enter the kitchen, preparing to calm her son down and calmly ask her beloved husband to explain how exactly Gene had managed to get a hold of that thing.

* * *

**Theme #99: **Cold

**Word Count: **415

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Angst, Family, Romance

**Rating: **K+

**Warning(s): **Hints of abuse

The first time Audrey met her new boyfriend's family, she was struck by the way they treated him.

She had seen it before, the sneers and the looks of contempt and the unhidden condescendence in their tones whenever they spoke to him. His mother, in particular, never had a word for her son that wasn't incredibly hurtful or joking at his expense. Yes, Audrey had seen this many times before, and that was the biggest reason Once-ler's family doing it to him left her so disgusted and angry.

This was the kind of behavior playground bullies displayed. All that was missing was a toilet to stick Once-ler's head in and a cramped locker to shoved him into afterwards. Out of all of them, his two brothers were probably the least hurtful, but that wasn't saying much. They went along with the taunting mostly because they didn't appeared smart enough to realize it was wrong. They had a 'monkey see, monkey do' mentality. Whatever their mother did, they copied. They didn't question it, because their mother was always right, wasn't she?

And even though Audrey knew this, her rage boiled higher with every second she had to watch Once-ler half-heartedly laugh along with them at yet another hurtful 'joke' about what a failure he was and always would be, and it was directed at the family as a whole. No one would be free from her wrath where she to become angry enough to lash out. Her hands balled into fists every time his mother looked at him what that cool indifference in her eyes, devoid of the unconditional love a mother should have for her child.

It sent a cold shiver down Audrey's spine, and made her all the happier when it was finally time for them to go home. They piled into their RV and were gone just in time for Once-ler to realize his mother had left behind the new scarf he'd spent almost a week painstakingly knitting for her.

He watched it go by the door, his hand going slack and allowing the long cloth to fall into the dirt.

Audrey stood solemnly behind him, slowly coming to wrap her arms around his waist and lean her head into his back. She rocked them back and forth, keeping Once-ler warm in the freezing atmosphere his family had left behind, and reminding him that no matter what his family did or said, he would never be unloved as long as she was around.

* * *

**Theme #93: **Music

**Word Count: **389

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Humor, Romance

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

Audrey tried to play Once-ler's guitar once, and it wasn't one of her better ideas. In retrospect, she probably should have just asked him to teach her instead of trying to pluck at the strings herself and nearly make her fingers bleed. She would never understand how Once-ler could stand playing without a pick, and had a whole new appreciation for the hardened calluses that covered his fingertips.

When he came home a short time later, Audrey was in the living room with a hot cup of tea and a book in her lap. She hoped that he wouldn't ask questions the next time he picked up his guitar and found how badly out of tune it was (another thing she was painfully inept at).

They exchanged the usual greeting and lingering kiss before he excused himself to the bedroom. Audrey tried to lose herself in her novel, but it was difficult with her mind on so many other things. Then she heard the distinct sounds of strings being plucked, and all other thoughts vanished. All that mattered now were the disjointed and flat notes issuing from down the hall.

Audrey thought about getting up, but couldn't get herself into motion until the awkward sounds suddenly started coming together. The next thing she knew, Once-ler was playing a song she didn't recognize, but one that sounded far better than anything she could have accomplished. She tip-toed to the door as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb him or give him a reason to stop. She came to stand in the open doorway, leaning against the frame and watching him. With his back to her and his focus on the instrument, Audrey didn't believe he was even aware that she wasn't in the living room anymore. Whatever song he was playing was light and upbeat, and he softly sang along, though not with actual words.

After almost a minute of this, he stopped abruptly and turned around. It was then that Audrey realized she'd been absently tapping her fingers to the beat. Her eyes widened in embarrassment, but Once-ler's look of amusement eased her somewhat.

"Well, Audrey," he said, pulling the guitar over his head and setting it back down. "I think we both know now that guitar isn't your strong suit. You ever thought about taking up drumming?"

* * *

**Theme #74: **Fall

**Word Count: **321

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Romance, Angst

**Rating: **K+

**Warning(s): **None

There's a certain memory Audrey likes to visit.

It was of a calm day in the truffula forest, one no different from any other. Audrey stood at the very top of a sturdy ladder, repainting the roof as she'd been planning on doing for some time now. Brush in hand, she worked silently while listening to the Hummingfish sing their song. The job took a lot less time than Audrey thought it would, and pretty soon, it was done.

Pleased with herself, Audrey took a few seconds to admire her work, before sticking the brush into her pocket and slowly descending the ladder. This was something she'd done many times in the past, and she always knew to be careful and watch her step. Even so, all the times she'd successfully made the climb had dulled the impact of those lessons. She never had a problem before, why should she start now?

Audrey spotted Once-ler coming outside when she was on the seventh rung. Her words of greeting to him morphed into a surprised yelp as the sole of her shoe slipped and sent her plummeting to the ground.

Audrey's eyes snapped shut, as if this would lessen the impact and subsequent pain, assuming she didn't lose consciousness first.

Then she felt a pair of arms pull her into their strong grip. Once-ler grunted and fell to his knees, but kept her from the ground and from injury. When Audrey opened her eyes again, he was staring down at her with a look of relief that she found herself returning as she threw her arms around him in thanks.

Audrey remembers that day vividly, and the image never ever fades. If anything, it becomes stronger the longer she has to watch him fall into his greed and the destroy the beautiful forest they once loved.

She wishes that she could've returned the favor.

That she could've caught him when he fell.

* * *

**Theme #25: **Damp

**Word Count: **588

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Family, Humor

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

"MOOOOOOOOOM!"

Audrey paused in her painting, the exclamation hitting her hard like a brick to the head. She recognized the voice instantly, as well as the two pairs of footsteps running directly at her. Even if she hadn't, there was still the way her two sons screamed at each other. She caught phrases here and there like, 'your fault' and 'you're getting in trouble' and 'I'll get back at you.'

That last one raised a red flag in her mind. Resigned, Audrey turned away from her work, replacing her paintbrush in the bucket of bright orange as her boys ran through the door.

The younger one, redheaded with a round face, bent over to catch his breath while the older, a spitting image of his father as a boy, glared at his brother with an intense rage as his hair and clothes dripped all over the place.

"What is going on here?" Audrey demanded, standing before them with her hands on her hips. "And Gene, why are you all wet?"

"He poured water all over me!" Gene shouted and pointed an accusing finger at his younger brother, whom Audrey proceeding to turn her attention to.

"Tobias," she said. "Did you pour water over your brother's head?"

The smaller boy flinched instinctively, but came right back and puffed out his chest.

"He started it!" Tobias proclaimed. "He took my action figures and threw them in the river."

"I told you, I didn't do that," Gene hissed, shoving Tobias's back by his shoulder. "A bunch of bar-ba-loots or something did."

"Yeah, that's just what you want me to believe."

"It's what happened, you little pimple."

"Don't call me tha-"

"Enough!"

Both boys went silent, tearing fearful eyes away from each other and onto their mother, who glared down at them with her hands on her hips.

"Alright," she said. "Now I want you to calmly explain to me what happened. Can you do that?"

"Yes, mom," they grumbled in unison.

Audrey gave a nod of approval, which doubled as a signal for them to go ahead.

"I was in my room," Gene began. "I was reading a book, and then Tobias ran in saying he was bored and wanted me to play with him. He had a bunch of his superhero toys with him-"

"I was gonna let him play with Ironman and everything!"

Gene glared his brother into silence.

"He wouldn't stop bugging me, so I told him to go away and-"

"And then he threw them in the river!"

"Would you STOP THAT!"

"MOOOOOM! GENE'S YELLING AT ME!"

"I AM NOT YELLING, YOU ARE!"

Audrey groaned and brought a hand to her head as the boys descended into a screaming match. She was ready to try and calm them down again, when the door suddenly burst open, and the tired, haggard, and very unhappy face of her husband appeared. Gene and Tobias went quiet again, even faster than before. , and shrunk back from their father in fear.

"Whoever is yelling in here," Once-ler growled. "Stop it now. I am trying to sleep."

"Sorry Dad," Gene and Tobias said together after a beat. "Sorry Mom! Sorry!"

They took off in the opposite direction towards the backyard and slammed the door behind them. Audrey watched them go out the corner of her eye while Once-ler let out a harsh breath and leaned his head against the door. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them again and looked at Audrey.

"Why is Gene all wet anyway?"

* * *

**Theme #12: **Fear

**Word Count: **159

**World: **Canon Universe

**Genre(s): **General, Drama

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

"The tree is growing nicely," Audrey said, sitting down on the chair across from him with a newly refilled cup of tea.

Once-ler took his own in shaky hands and brought it to his lips, sipping slowly, savoring the taste.

"Is that right?" he said, his voice cracking.

Audrey nodded. "You should really come and see it sometime."

The old man, who'd been returning his cup to it's coaster, froze in place.

"What?" he whispered. "Oh no, I can't do that."

"Why not?" Audrey asked, genuinely curious and almost innocent in her tone of voice. "The town is getting so much better, so much happier. I think you would like what you see."

Once-ler gave no response, but that didn't deter Audrey.

"And if it helps, Ted and I can go with you so you won't be alone. See? There's nothing to be afraid of."

_'Kid, you have no idea,'_ Once-ler thought with a sigh and an empty smile.

* * *

**Theme #36: **Hold

**Word Count: **179

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Romance, Fluff

**Rating: **K+

**Warning(s): **None

He's a lot more relaxed than he thought he'd be. Having Audrey pressed up against him, nothing to separate them but their clothes, felt completely natural to him. Once-ler kept his hand on the small of her back, not daring to move it even an inch in either direction. Being so much taller than her, dancing had been something of a struggle in the past, but tonight, they were doing okay. The fact that Audrey had some very high heels on probably helped.

She sighed against his chest, so soft, he almost didn't hear it. Once-ler pulled her tighter to him and, when she didn't complain or pull away, allowed himself a moment of pure contentment.

They didn't move for a long time after the song had ended and a new, faster song started up. Everyone else was too wrapped up in their own worlds to notice the young couple, and so Once-ler was free to just hold her for as long as he wanted, happier now than he could ever remember being before Audrey came into his life.


	4. 31 to 40

**Theme #91:** Foreign

**Word Count:** 268

**World:** Alternate Universe

**Genre(s):** General

**Rating:** K

**Warning(s): **None

The first few days after Audrey left home were the worst. Her childhood home could not be more different from the countryside town she had settled in. It was a place she'd always dreamed of finding: quiet, subdued, cheerful townspeople who always answered her when she said Good Morning, and most of all, trees as far as the eye could see.  
With all that going for her, Audrey never believed she could become intimidated or scared, but it wasn't a fantasy anymore, and that was the problem.

She had left her home.

She had_ left_ her _home._

And now Audrey was in this place that should be making her happy and she was terrified. It made no sense, because at the same time, she really was happy to be here. She thought about it every night before bed, when the lack of any sound besides crickets was making her shiver with an irrational fear. Would she go back home if given the chance? Would she leave this whole new world and go back to the sense of familiarity she'd left behind?

No. No she wouldn't.

No matter what, this was where she wanted to be and this was where she would stay. She would get through this and learn to really love her new home. Sure, being alone was frightening, but she'd been through worse!

And so, she pressed on. She worked towards finding her place in this quiet little town, and it was barely a day later that the young man she often spotted in the grocery store finally introduced himself.

"So you just left home too?"

* * *

**Theme #31:** Sweet

**Word Count:** 426

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s):** Romance, Fluff

**Rating:** K

**Warning(s): **None

They're standing in a small clearing, truffula trees all around them and his cottage almost half a mile away. If he listens carefully, Once-ler can hear twigs snapping and wings fluttering not to far ahead. He wonders briefly how many bar-ba-loots and swomi-swans have seen fit to eavesdrop on this moment despite his constant requests for alone time with Audrey. He vows to withhold all pancakes and marshmallows for the next two days as he pulls a lump of pink cloth out of his bag with shaking hands.

He holds it out by the ends, so it can unfurl and reveal itself to be a thneed. Not just any thneed, of course, but one he spent an entire week painstakingly making, that he'd wanted it to be absolutely perfect. Not that he never puts the same care and hard work into a regular thneed, this one was just special. It was unlike any other that he'd made or would ever make again, even though it was, by all appearances, just an average thneed.

"This is for you," he says to the young woman before him. "I made it… well, I made it specially for you, see?"

He turns it over to the spot where the tags go. Right underneath, stitched in with thread a darker than normal shade of pink, is her name in big letters. He sees her mouth move, pronouncing the syllables as her fingers brush against the fabric. No doubt she's already seen the tiny tree he'd put in beside it. That had been a last minute addition; Once-ler finished the Y in her name and leaned back to examine his work. He caught sight of the tree in his peripheral vision, remembered how much she loved them, and was back to work before he knew it.

That was over a day ago, but it felt like much longer. Once-ler waited patiently for Audrey to say something, though this was getting harder to do the longer she kept her eyes down and her expression unreadable.

When her mouth curled into a toothy grin, Once-ler felt his heart skip a beat, and when she threw her arms around his neck, any idea that she might not have liked it melted away.

"Thank you," she says, looking straight up at him. "This is so sweet of you."

Once-ler hears high-pitched 'awwws' all around them, but doesn't care enough to be annoyed anymore. He gives a sigh, happy, content, and very much wishing that she'd let go of his arms so he could hug her back.

* * *

**Theme #11:** Run

**Word Count:** 491

**World:** Alternate Universe

**Genre(s):** Angst, Drama

**Rating:** K

**Warning(s):** None

Once-ler never knew how Audrey figured it out before he told her. It had only been a few hours since his mother convinced that chopping down the trees was the right thing do to that she confronted him. He'd known already that she wouldn't be happy about it, that she would yell and scream until she was red in the face, but somehow it was worse than he could ever have imagined. Part of the reason for this was that at first, she didn't yell. She was actually very calm and collected. She started by asking outright if it was true that he was doing this, and when he'd (very firmly and in a no-nonsense tone) confirmed it, that was when things turned ugly.

They argued back and forth, their voices growing louder and their words more scathing. Once-ler's family stayed to the side, even his mother was too unnerved to try and stop them. They, along with whatever curious animals hadn't run away yet, watched with a sick fascination as the bickering couple all but threw fire at each other in a vain attempt to get the other to see things their way.

It ended just as fast as it began. Audrey had tears in her eyes as she drew her hand up and sent it flying into the side of his face. Once-ler's cheek burned from the force with which she had hit him, but he didn't have time to worry about that now, because Audrey was running.

He called out to her, hoping against hope that she might stop and turn around. When she didn't, he made to run after her, but another, softer hand wrapped around his wrist and kept him still. Once-ler looked down at his mother, who shook her head and frowned.

"Let her go," she said. "If she refuses to understand, you're better off without her."

Once-ler's own hand clenched into a loose fist. He didn't like how flippantly his mother spoke, but knew regardless that she was right. He gave a small nod and she let him go. For the briefest of moments, Once-ler thought about going after Audrey anyway. He had much longer legs, so catching up wouldn't be difficult. Maybe if he could just talk to her again, in a calmer setting where no one could bother them, maybe he could convince her…

But he'd never know for sure, because he stayed rooted at the spot while his mother went off to instruct Brett and Chett to get to chopping. Once-ler watched the set of trees she'd disappeared through, remembering the sight of her yellow clad back and red hair that swishing roughly behind her. He held tight to that image and committed it to memory, along with all the happy times they'd spent together that now seemed like so long ago. He had a terrible, nagging feeling in his stomach that this was the last he'd ever see of her.

* * *

**Theme #71:** Rain

**Word Count:** 388

**World:** Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Humor, Romance

**Rating:** K+

**Warning(s):** None

The first time Audrey spent the night at Once-ler's place, it was because of the rain.

Not that it had never rained in the forest before, tonight's was just particularly heavy. It wasn't even 30 minutes before the rain was thick enough that Audrey couldn't even see her hand in front of her face when she stepped outside. At that point, Once-ler guided her back inside and said in no uncertain terms that he was not going to let her go off in this weather and that she should just stay until it blew over.

Audrey, of course, immediately stated the obvious that this would mean spending the night. She almost laughed when Once-ler blushed and quietly muttered that he was fine with sleeping on the living room couch.

This was how Audrey found herself alone in Once-ler's bed, trying hard to keep her eyes closed. She pulled the sheets close to her, catching the distinct scent of soap and linen. He must have just washed them this morning. She idly wondered how they might smell after Once-ler spent a night on them, then mentally smacked herself for thinking such embarrassing things. Audrey dug her head further into the pillow and listened to the raindrops on the roof, allowing them to lull her into a deep, peaceful sleep.

When she awoke the next morning, the only sounds she could hear were birds chirping and footsteps somewhere in another part of the cottage. The former made Audrey's brow furrow. Last night, the window had been bolted shut. She shouldn't be able to hear the birds unless they were inside or something crazy like that.  
Sighing to herself, Audrey rolled over and opened her eyes.

A pair of bar-ba-loots stared back at her from the very edge of the bed. They grinned and waved in unison as Audrey shot to her feet with an ear-piercing scream.

She eventually calmed down, thanks in part to Once-ler charging in and all but throwing the bar-ba-loots out into the hall. Audrey spent the next hour and a half at Once-ler's kitchen table, surrounded by all matter of happy forest critters, eating a small stack of pancakes and listening to Once-ler apologize profusely for forgetting to mention that the animals liked to break into his house and sleep there on cold and stormy nights.

* * *

**Theme #96:** Vulnerable

**Word Count:** 162

**World:** Alternate Universe

**Genre(s):** Drama, General

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s):** None

Once-ler was never one for showing weakness. Not that he was some kind of uber-tough macho man either, but he always liked to be in control of things. He wanted to believe that he could handle anything, that he couldn't fail no matter what he did. Audrey had to admit, begrudgingly she may be, that he wasn't entirely blowing smoke. He was indeed a very intelligent and talented man, more than anyone she'd ever met before. Of that, she'd never had a shadow of a doubt. It was part of what had initially attracted him to her, after all.

So even when she was rolling her eyes at his… for lack of a better word, bratty antics, Audrey knew and acknowledged that he at least had reason to be.

But knowing all of this never helped to dull the pain in her heart that came from seeing his dejected, tomato-stained face whenever he came home after another day of failure and ridicule.

* * *

**Theme #62:** Swan

**Word Count:** 268

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s):** General, Humor

**Rating: **K

**Warning(s): **None

Audrey never realized she had such a weakness for baby animals until the day she first held a tiny Swamee-Swan in her hands. He looked at her with inquisitive eyes, chirping at random moments while his mother looked on in amusement. Every once in a while, he would jump off and go play with some random rock or whatever it was that had his attention, but he always found his way back into Audrey's gentle hands. She wouldn't have it any other way.

"These little guys are just precious," she said, brushing the feathers on top of the baby's head.

Beside her, Once-ler shrugged.

"Well, I'm glad you like them at any rate."

Audrey gave him an odd look. "What? Don't you?"

"Sure I do," Once-ler said, drawing himself to full height. He kept talking even as he walked away. "I like them just fine when they aren't laying eyes in my kitchen appliances."

"What?" Audrey said through a snort. "Come on, that's ridiculous."

The baby squeaked, which usually meant he wanted to be put down again. As Audrey lowered her hand to the grass, her eyes met that of the mother swan, and she bit down on her lip.

"You guys never actually did anything like that, did you?"

The mother swan and one of her friends glanced at each other, then started squawking and falling over in a way that look suspiciously like hysterical laughter.

When Audrey agreed to move in with Once-ler a month or so later, she brought her along her own dinnerware per his request. She also brought a padlock just in case.

* * *

**Theme #33: **Pray

**Word Count:** 383

**World: **Alternate Universe

**Genre(s):** Angst

**Rating: **K+

**Warning(s): **None

Audrey was in bed. She didn't know how long she'd been lying there, staring out the large window at the moon. It surprised her that she could see it so well, what with the growing amounts of smog polluting the air. The very thought of it made her stomach turn, and what was worse, the cause of all this suffering was a mere two doors away.  
Audrey couldn't believe how her life was turning out. She was with a man she both loved and despised. It was getting to the point where she couldn't even look him in the eye without wanting to scream and punch his face in. Afterwards, she'd probably apologize profusely and then tend to his wounds. She almost laughed at the thought. Her mind was really starting to mess with her.

It had to be, because Audrey knew that she should have left him a long time ago. The very day his brothers cut down those first few trees, she should have walked away and never came back. Because she couldn't convince him to stop. Lord knows she'd tried hard enough. These days, there was only one thing she could do, and it was so laughably futile, but at least it was better than bottling her misery up and letting it fester.

"Hello, again," she said to the sky. "I… I still don't know if this does any good…. Oh what am I talking about, of course it doesn't…"

Audrey stopped to take a few deep breaths and compose herself. She felt something building up behind her eyes, but forced it back and went on.

"This needs to stop, this never should have started in the first place. I've tried so hard to make him understand, but he won't listen to me. He's getting worse and worse every day."

She buried her head further down into the pillow.

"I don't know what to do anymore, I just keep talking like this because… if someone really is up there, please help me. Please help me help him."

The tears started to leak out, but she didn't bother brushing them away. She didn't move a muscle, and off in the distance, she could swear she heard the sound of one more tree falling to the ground.

"Please let this end soon."

* * *

**Theme #2: **Happy

**Word Count:** 476

**World:** Alternate Universe

**Genre(s):** Romance, Drama

**Rating:** K

**Warning(s):** None

The crowd came in a stampede. Their collective footfalls crescendo-ing in an almost threatening manner that left Audrey clinging to a dirty spatula for protection. Once-ler wasn't much better off, shrinking fearfully into the corner as the trees began to shake all around their tiny home. It wasn't until the first group of people, shouting and singing joyfully about their new found need for thneeds, broke through that he calmed down. Audrey needed a little more time to process things. By the time she had calmed down enough to think clearly, Once-ler was outside in the middle of the crowd. He had a phone to his ear, but Audrey couldn't hear a word he was saying, what with all the noise everyone was making.

The people would remain for at least an hour, as Once-ler had to explain fifteen times, screaming at the top of his lungs so they would hear, that it would be several days to before more thneeds would be ready. This was met with mass disappointment, but thankfully, most of them were willing to wait and left peacefully. Those that weren't wound up dragged away by friends and family members anyway.

Only when the final few stragglers had gone did Once-ler rush back into the house. When he did, he zero'd in on Audrey. She opened her mouth to speak, but he was faster. With a squeal of joy, Once-ler crushed Audrey to his lanky, yet deceptively strong body and spun them both around in circles. He guided them into the living room, eventually dropping her on the couch were he immediately joined her. Audrey's head spun for several seconds, the temporary nausea hitting her hard. She was once again pulled away from her thoughts when Once-ler's arm wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her close.

"Did you see what just happened?" he cried. "All those people? I can't believe it. They really love my thneeds. I always knew I would be a success one day."

"Yeah, me too," Audrey said, smiling and genuinely happy for him.

Once-ler loosened his grip on her then, only to drag her up and press his mouth to hers in a heated kiss. Audrey didn't fight him, instead melting against him and returning the kiss with equal fervor. They had to readjust themselves into a more comfortable position, not breaking away from each other until Audrey lifted her head to breathe. She then hugged Once-ler around the chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart as he ran a hand up and down her back, sighing contentedly.

"This has got to be the best day of my life," he said.

Audrey nodded, trying to ignore the strange feeling that had been clawing at the back of her mind since the crowd first arrived. This feeling that something about all this wasn't right.

"I know," she said.

* * *

**Theme #43:** Night

**Word Count: **235

**World: **Canon Universe

**Genre(s): **Angst

**Rating: **K+

**Warning(s): **None

Even a year after Ted's first visit, Once-ler still preferred nighttime to day. His windows were no longer boarded up, and every day, he could see out them for miles around. When the sun shined in a cloudless sky, it was unavoidable that he would see the barren fields that were only just starting to have life restored to them. It was a constant reminder of his mistakes, and it made his heart hurt and his eyes water.

That's why night was always better for him. The moon and the star shone brilliantly, but his weakening eyes could see nothing but darkness. He could look out the window and imagine that nothing was wrong behind the pitch black; he had listened to the Lorax, the tress were still there. Maybe it was cowardly of him to hide, but now that there was nothing left to hide him from reality, but it was the only time he would allow himself relative peace of mind.

Usually.

On the night after Audrey's visit, Once-ler laid in bed, the covers drawn up to his neck, and stared out the window into the blackness. The voice in his head repeated her words to him endlessly, and in her voice no less.

_'There's nothing to be afraid of.'_

With a groan, Once-ler buried his head deeper into his pillow, closing eyes that weren't even heavy.

He almost couldn't wait for morning.

* * *

**Theme #63:** Back

**Word Count:** 378

**World:** Alternate Universe

**Genre(s): **Family, Romance

**Rating:** K

**Warning(s):** None

"Moooom, I'm bored."

Audrey looked out from the side of her canvas. Gene was on the couch, moaning dramatically as he put his dirty shoes up on the upholstery. Her mouth twitched a bit, but she wasn't in the mood to scold him right now. Not that she would've had time to, what with her second son joining in on the whining.

"I'm tired and there's nothing to dooo," Tobias said.

Audrey noted the mass of toys and coloring books all around that he was conveniently ignoring. She gave him a half smile.

"If you're so tired, I could put you down for your nap early."

Tobias bolted upright, eyes widen like he'd just drank an entire can of coffee.

"I'm fine! I'm awake!"

Gene mumbled something at him that sounded like 'kiss-up' before flipping over on his stomach and getting even more dirt on the cushions.

"When is Dad coming home?" he asked.

Audrey glanced at the clock in the corner, it was five minutes passed the time Once-ler said he'd be back by. She furrowed her brow, slowly returning the paint brush to the bottle of green she'd been using.

As if on cue, the familiar galloping of Melvin appeared in the distance. It grew louder as the mule drew nearer, until everyone in the house could hear it. The two boys wasted no time in jumping to their feet, boredom and complaints long forgotten.

"Dad!" Gene shouted as he sprinted to the door with Tobias on his heels.

"Dad's back! Dad's back!"

Audrey chuckled to herself. She could hear Once-ler's laugh as he greeted their sons outsides and stood up. Stepping outside, she took in the scene of Tobias on Once-ler shoulders and Gene at his side. Her oldest was always insisting that he was too old to be picked up anymore, but Once-ler could probably do it if he wanted to.

She met him halfway and reached up for a peck on the lips. The boys drew her husband's attention away before she could say anything to him, and though that disappointed her, Audrey figured she could wait to talk to him later.

"I think I'd prefer to tell him when we're alone anyway," she said aloud, unconsciously resting a hand on her stomach.


End file.
